Upcoming Events
Tuesday, Jan. 12, 6:30-7:00 pm: Principal's Tea. (Zoom Link)
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 5:30-7:00 pm: Parent Council Meeting (Zoom Link)
Monday, Jan. 18: MLK Day (No school)
Tuesday, Jan. 19: 6:30-8:00 pm: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Meeting (Zoom Link)
Wednesday, Jan. 20, 5:30-7:30 pm: Board Meeting (Zoom Link)
2020/2021 Calendar (Please see the end of this post for more details)
Administrators' Message
Dear Village School Families,
I visited several virtual classrooms last week and was delighted to see the care and attention the teachers give to build and sustain positive relationships with the students. My favorable assessment of those brief visits is supported by the results of a student feeling survey that was administered to grades 2-8 prior to winter break. (Grade 1 took an edited version and Kindergarten was purposefully left out, both for developmental reasons). For the question, “My teacher likes and cares about me,” 96.5% of the students answered strongly agree or agree. All in all, the results of the 19-question survey indicate our students are feeling good about school, their teachers, their schoolwork and themselves. The results also identified areas for improvement. One of those areas that comes as no surprise is the query, “I feel connected to my friends.” Just 59% strongly agreed or agreed. There is always room for improvement and there are always children and families that need some extra support. Our teachers and staff know this and will continue to offer support in all the ways we can.
Speaking of surveys please be sure to complete the Re-Opening Survey for parents & guardians emailed last Friday. This is important. The information we obtain will help us plan for staffing and scheduling should health conditions allow us to launch a on-site, hybrid instruction. As you may know, new guidance about reopening schools will be released on January 19 by the Oregon Department of Education. We will review ODE advisory and required elements and the county health data to determine when we might be able to offer a hybrid model of instruction. We also plan to continue distance learning for those who choose not to send their children back to campus. This is why your response is so important, we need data to build out our program and schedule how to deliver on campus and on-line instruction when the day arrives that we can launch a hybrid model.
Two more important reminders: If you want to enroll a sibling of a current Village School Student, please complete the attached form for sibling enrollment for next school year, 2021-22 and return by January 28th. In addition, tell your friends that we will conduct our annual meetings for prospective families interested in enrolling for next school on Thursday, January 28, 6:00 PM (Zoom Link) and repeat the meeting on Saturday, January 30, 10:30 AM (Zoom Link).
During these uncertain times let’s continue to reach out to friends and family while following all the life preserving protocols, not only for our physical safety but also for the health of our hearts and minds and those in our community.
Sincerely
Sibling Enrollment Forms
If you would like to enroll one of your children in the Village School for 2021-22, please complete the attached form for sibling enrollment and return by January 28th. The form can be filled out online, saved, and emailed back to us. This form is not required for students who are already enrolled in the Village School.
Art by Josey Trumbly-Taylor from Ms. Shannon's online guided painting lesson!
Village School Kitchen
This week families will receive many of the ingredients to replicate our Baked Potato Bar lunch. Students love meals where they can choose from a variety of toppings to individualize their food. On Baked Potato Bar day, students add sunflower seeds, sour cream, steamed broccoli, salsa, and lentils. What toppings does your family like on baked potatoes? We'd love to hear!
Many thanks to parent volunteer Bethany Kaiser for helping set up bags this past week!
Toña
The Village School Eugene, Oregon w - 541-345-7285
Library News
Battle of the Books updates!
OBOB meetings will continue this week!
The zoom meeting for grades 3-5 will be Tuesday, Jan. 12 from 2:00-2:30
6-8 will be Tuesday, Jan. 12 from 3:00-3:30.
Anyone interested in OBOB can start reading and attending meetings through the end of this month. This week we will be talking about our progress reading books and which books we would like next, and we will do a book title/author matching game. In February we will start practicing answering OBOB battle questions. You do not need to purchase books to participate; we are getting books checked out and sent home to students, or you can get them as regular books or ebooks from the Eugene Public Library. Let me know if you have any questions.
Molly Bautista
Parent Council
Parent Council will be having our next meeting on Wednesday, January 13th. Please join us and send questions and ideas about the current school year and how we can support our school community to parentcouncil@eugenevillageschool.org.
Zoom link:
The notes from our last meeting can be found here.
Every Village School parent and guardian is a part of Parent Council - you do not have to be a class representative to attend meetings or to contribute ideas. Every parent is invited to Parent Council meetings when they occur. We hope you will soon be able to come to meet with other caring and committed parents who want to share ideas, build our school community, and contribute to the vitality, growth, and evolution of OUR VILLAGE SCHOOL!
Engage with us on Facebook!
The Village Vine is a collective community forum for the Parent Council which includes all families of the Village School. This is a place for sharing information regarding our school and respectful discussion in support of our children and in support of each other as parents. This is a space to connect and build OUR VILLAGE community. There are some new and adjusted guidelines that will be posted in the group so be sure to make sure to check those out! Please feel welcome to post and share in that spirit. We are currently looking for Moderators and an Admin who can help support the rules and guidelines of the Village Vine. Click the link to be added to our group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevillagevine
Village School New Family Applications
Share this information with families who may be interested!
Family Conversation Starter Questions!
If you were granted three wishes, what would they be?
Name three things you are grateful for.
What are you most proud of?
What scares you and why?
What’s your favorite family tradition?
What do you think the meaning of life is?
What is the best dream you’ve ever had
Which of the four seasons do you like best and why?
What sound really bothers you?
What do you do when you’re feeling really angry?
Who is the funniest person you know? Why?
What do you do when you see someone being teased?
Describe yourself in five words.
Free Comcast Internet Essentials - Extended
The Village School is partnering with Comcast to provide free Internet Essentials services until June 30th, 2021 for Village School families that
qualify for free and reduced lunches under federal guidelines,
live in an area served by Comcast
Previously, you could not be an existing Comcast/Xfinity customer, but this condition has been lifted.
Please contact support@eugenevillageschool.org for more information.
Another resource that might be helpful to families is free cell phone service (for those who qualify). It is called Lifeline phone service through Assurance Wireless. Those who qualify will receive a free Android smartphone that can text, access the internet, etc. There is no charge for the phone or service. https://www.assurancewireless.com/lifeline-services/states/oregon-lifeline-free-government-phone-service
Calendar
Please check the full calendar for the dates for future events. We have updated the calendar through the end of the 2020-21 school year. Due to the delayed start the Monday after Spring break is a school day.
Monday, January 18, 2021: MLK Day (No school)
Monday, February 15, 2021: Presidents Day (No school)
Tuesday, February 16, 2021: Grading Day (No school)
Friday, March 5, 2021: Grades K-5 Conferences (Regular schedule for grades 6-8)
Monday, March 22, 2021: Spring Break
Monday, April 5, 2021: School Resumes
Friday, May 7, 2021: No School - Prof Development Day (No School)
Monday, May 31, 2021: No School - Memorial Day (No School)
Thursday, June 17, 2021: 1/2 Day Last Day
